


Amor Fati

by owltype



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV Spoilers, Canon-Typical Violence, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pre-Game(s), Slow Build, Time Skips
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-14
Updated: 2017-04-29
Packaged: 2018-10-19 00:22:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10628277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/owltype/pseuds/owltype
Summary: Gladiolus and Noctis weren't always close; they had to work at it.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> After watching Brotherhood, I had to explore their relationship more. My inner fangirl demanded it.
> 
> Tags to be added as the story progresses.

Noctis is only five-years-old when the Crystal chooses him.

He cries that night, great ugly sobs rocking his small frame as nightmares of the Starscourge haunt him. Whenever he closes his eyes, he can see Insomnia shrouded in perpetual darkness and daemons gorging on bloated corpses. His father appears before him, shrouded in a black mist, the very light snuffed from his eyes. Noctis sees himself in that dead gaze and feels the weight of his failure like chains wrapped around his throat.

“I’m afraid, Iggy,” he sobs, clinging to Ignis who tries his best to soothe him; however, weight that had been settled on the prince’s shoulders is too great a burden for anyone to bear and for a child, it’s especially frightening.

It’s the first time Noctis sees Ignis truly angry and it surprises him. Ignis, his mentor, his  _friend_ —young himself but wise beyond his years; calm, composed, patient Ignis who never raises his voice and always thinks before he speaks; loyal Ignis who has Noctis’ back and would do anything for him—is angry on Noctis’ behalf and curses King Regis for the responsibility he had laid upon his son. It’s this more than anything that soothes Noctis and he falls asleep to Ignis’ whispered promises to be with him, always.

The next morning, Noctis is once again summoned to his father’s side. Clarus is there, too, and he smiles kindly down at Noctis.

“Congratulations, Highness. What an honor it is to be the chosen protector.”

Noctis smiles and quietly thanks Clarus, unable to say more. The man’s words have renewed his fear and he can feel the panic welling up inside him.  _Who’s going to protect me?_  he wonders and tries not to cry.

Regis puts a soothing hand on Noctis’ shoulder and kneels so he can look Noctis in the eyes. His expression mirrors the doubt Noctis is feeling. “I know this is a lot to take in, son. It’s okay to be afraid. But know this: you are not alone. We will protect you.”

Noctis nods. “Yes, father.”

Regis smiles and wipes away the tears that have gathered on Noctis’ lashes. “Come. I think it’s time for you to meet your Shield.”

Noctis looks up at Clarus, confused. Clarus laughs and shakes his head. “My duty is always to your father. I offer to you, Prince Noctis, my son. Already a stout, capable fighter, he will protect you in life even unto his death.”

Clarus turns and beckons to the guards to open the doors. Through them steps a boy only a few years older than Noctis, though he is already more than twice Noctis’ size. He walks up to them and sticks out his hand. “Hi. I’m Gladiolus,” he says gruffly.

“Gladio,” his father admonishes and Regis chuckles.

Noctis stares up at Gladiolus, feeling slightly overwhelmed, and slowly raises his hand to shake Gladiolus’. His slender fingers are engulfed by Gladiolus’ large, calloused ones and Noctis can sense the strength in them. Gladiolus is  _big_ for his age, intimidating, with amber eyes that seem to pierce right through Noctis.

With Gladiolus, he will be in safe hands and suddenly, Noctis doesn’t feel so afraid.

\-----

Noctis doesn’t get to see Gladiolus much as his training keeps him busy most of the time. But every so often, when he has a spare moment, Gladiolus will come to see Noctis in the palace or will escort him to and from school.

Noctis always enjoys the time he gets to spend with Gladiolus. Gladiolus is intelligent, witty, and always knows the best gossip. Usually, they go to the arcade or watch movies in Noctis’ room, but sometimes they go on walks through the palace gardens. These are some of Noctis’ favorite moments because he gets to see a softer side of Gladiolus, the one that likes to pick flowers for his baby sister and coo at the feral kittens that live on the palace grounds.

It’s nice to have another friend. Ignis is great but sometimes, Noctis gets lonely. Noctis only wishes he could see Gladiolus more often and he looks forward to when he’s old enough to start his training so he can spend more time with his Shield.

One day after school, about a year after he and Gladiolus first met, Noctis decides to head to the training yard instead of going immediately home. He’s never seen Gladiolus train before and he’s curious. He sits in the shadows so no one can see him, not wanting to be a distraction. He marvels at Gladiolus’ strength and speed, wondering how a nine-year-old could heft a greatsword with such ease, and hopes he’s as strong as Gladiolus when he gets older. He wants to do his duty to the citizens of the Lucian empire and protect them but more than anything, he wants Gladiolus to be proud of him.

When practice is over, Cor and Gladiolus head to the showers. Noctis scrambles out of his hiding spot and follows them, hoping to catch Gladiolus alone and talk to him for a little bit. He’s about to enter the locker room when raised voices stop him in his tracks. He peeks around the door to see Clarus is with Gladiolus. Neither of them looks very happy.

“I don’t want to do this, father,” Gladiolus is saying.

“You have to, son; you’re an Amicitia. Our family has always protected the Lucis kings.”

Gladiolus growls and slams his locker shut, the metal clang echoing through the stone chamber. Noctis almost misses his next words. “If it was anybody other than  _him_ …”

Clarus rears up from the bench he’d been sitting on and looms over his son. “Have care how you speak. He is your future  _King_.”

Gladiolus looks away from Clarus and seems to shrink in on himself, suddenly looking small, vulnerable, and so young. “It’s not fair,” he says. He falls to the bench and puts his head in his hands. “Why was I chosen to protect such a spoiled brat?”

Clarus laughs and sits down next to Gladiolus, throwing an arm around his son’s shoulders. “You think I liked Regis when I first met him? The Lucis line is a proud, stubborn one, Gladiolus. But give Noctis a chance; he may yet surprise you. Besides, nobody said you must  _like_ your King. Just that you have to protect him.”

“I understand, father.”

Noctis pulls back from the scene and slowly retreats down the hallway, tears spilling down his cheeks as Gladiolus’ words play through his mind on an endless loop. Noctis had thought they were becoming friends but clearly, he’d thought wrong. Gladiolus didn’t  _like_ him, hated the very idea of being pledged to his service. Noctis would bet he’d only been spending time with him on their fathers’ orders.

When Noctis gets to his room, he goes right to bed, telling Ignis he’s tired from a long day at school. Ignis looks skeptical but doesn’t press the issue. He helps Noctis out of his school uniform and into his nightclothes, then says goodnight and leaves for his own chambers.

That night, Noctis dreams again of the Starscourge, only this time it wears Gladiolus’ face, his amber eyes shrouded and glassy and cold as ice.

 _Where is your shield, little prince_? The darkness laughs. Tendrils of black smoke curl around Noctis’ wrists.  _Where is the shield that will protect the sword_?

Noctis is pulled forward. He tries to break free of his bonds but he’s weak—too weak to save his kingdom, too weak to save himself. Patiently, Gladiolus drags him closer, a smile like a beartrap stretched across his lips and when Noctis is close enough, Gladiolus’ jaw unhinges and opens like a great maw, glistening teeth mere inches from his skin.

Noctis screams.


	2. Chapter 2

Noctis awakens with a scream stuck in his throat.

His bedroom door creaks open and a shadow falls across his knees. Ignis pokes his head in, a concerned look on his face. “Highness?”

Noctis barely hears him, the vestiges of his nightmare still clinging to him like claws sunk deep into his skin. He’s clammy and sticky with sweat, and there’s a heartbeat pounding behind his eyeballs. He kicks the blankets off and sits up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. The bite of the cold stone underneath his feet is a welcome balm on his fevered skin and shocks him fully awake.

“Highness?” Ignis asks again, the worry now creeping into his voice. “Are you all right?”

“Water,” Noctis gasps out.

Ignis pours him a small glass from the jug next to Noctis’ bed and holds it out to him. Noctis accepts it gratefully and sips at it slowly until the nauseated feeling in the pit of his stomach evaporates and the pounding in his head diminishes.

Ignis takes the glass from him when he’s finished and sets it back on the bedside table. He returns to Noctis’ side and sits next to him on the bed, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and giving him a gentle squeeze.

“Another nightmare?”

Noctis nods. “Yeah.” He leans against Ignis, tucking his head into the crook of his shoulder. He closes his eyes against a fresh onslaught of seeing everyone he’s ever loved dead in a ditch and a sun blackened by evil. “A bad one.”

Ignis runs a soothing hand through Noctis’ hair and presses a kiss to his temple. “Anything I can do for you, Highness?”

“Stay with me?” Noctis whispers.

“Of course.”

\-----

Noctis is late for his first training session with Gladiolus. Ignis had offered to go with him, to explain what had happened, but Noctis had declined. He didn’t want Gladiolus to think he couldn’t take responsibility for himself. He had accepted that he and Gladiolus would probably never be good friends but he at least wanted Gladiolus to respect him. Still, he was nervous about facing Gladiolus’ anger alone, and admittedly there had been a brief moment where Noctis had considered skipping training altogether, but he realized the only thing worse than being late would be to miss it entirely. So many people would’ve been disappointed with him, his father especially.

Noctis approaches the dojo door and hesitates before going in. He can see Gladiolus’ silhouette through the frosted glass, sitting cross-legged on the floor, his arms resting on his knees and his head tilted back slightly. Gladiolus is newly ten but you’d never believe it just by looking at him. Even from this distance, his sheer size is enough to make Noctis feel both awed and afraid. He’s glad Gladiolus is duty-bound to serve him because he does not want to end up on the wrong end of Gladiolus’ greatsword.

Noctis takes a deep, steadying breath and pushes the door open. “Gladiolus?”

Gladiolus doesn’t even look at him. “Come in. Shut the door. Sit down.”

Noctis does all those things as quickly as he can, practically running to sit down in the spot Gladiolus is pointing to. He sinks to the floor and mirrors Gladiolus’ position, their knees almost touching. He wills himself to look into Gladiolus’ eyes and flinches back from the anger burning there.

Noctis drops his gaze to the floor. “I’m sorry I’m late. I didn’t sleep well last night and-”

Gladiolus cuts him off. “Tomorrow, we will begin earlier.”

Noctis nods, feeling miserable. “Yes, sir.”

“Today, we’re going to teach you how to properly stretch your muscles.”

Noctis gapes up at Gladiolus. “I thought you were going to teach me how to fight!”

“You won’t learn anything if you’re bedridden with torn muscles. You must stretch.”

Noctis rolls his eyes. “Sounds boring.”

Gladiolus narrows his eyes and lunges forward, lightning quick. He grabs Noctis’ wrists in his hands while simultaneously using his feet to kick Noctis’ legs apart. Using his grip on Noctis, Gladiolus pulls him forward until Noctis’ chest is parallel to the ground.

Noctis gasps. His legs, back, even his arms burn, the muscles screaming at the sudden stretch. After a few seconds, Gladiolus lets him go and Noctis falls back, hitting the mat with a thud that sounds like failure.

“Care to mouth off again?”

Noctis shakes his head and tries not to cry.

\-----

Ignis greets him at the dojo’s door, holding a bottle of water in one hand and a sandwich in the other. Noctis grabs at it gleefully and scarfs it down as they walk together to his next lesson.

“What would I do without you, Iggy?” Noctis says through a mouthful of meat and lettuce.

The corners of Ignis’ lips twitch. “Let us hope we never have to find out. How was your first training lesson?”

“Fine,” Noctis says shortly. He takes the water bottle from Ignis and gulps down a few mouthfuls. “We stretched.”

Ignis nods approvingly. “Good. We wouldn’t want you to accidentally injure yourself when you’re practicing drills.”

Noctis scowls. “You sound just like _him_.” He doesn’t know where the petulance comes from, just knows he doesn’t like it that Ignis and Gladiolus agree about something.

“Don’t pout, Highness,” Ignis chides gently. “Listen to Gladiolus. He’s there to help you.”

“Figures you would take his side,” Noctis grumbles.

Ignis stops him with a surprisingly firm hand on his shoulder. He turns Noctis to look at him, a stern and disappointed look on his face that twists in Noctis’ gut. “We are both on _your_ side, Highness.”

Noctis looks away from Ignis. For the first time, he feels angry with him. Ignis is the only person Noctis had told about what he overheard that day in the shower room. He had thought Ignis understood his feelings toward Gladiolus. In everybody else’s opinion, Gladiolus and Noctis are close friends, when really, Gladiolus pretends to like him and Noctis pretends that he doesn’t know that Gladiolus is pretending. Regis is happy because he thinks that Noctis and Gladiolus are getting along well, while Clarus is seemingly satisfied that his son, though unhappy with the situation, is at least performing his duties well. Only Ignis knows the truth and in him, Noctis had thought he had an ally. Now, he’s defending Gladiolus and Noctis almost feels betrayed.

Noctis pushes past Ignis to enter the library. “I’ll see you later,” he says curtly and shuts the door almost in Ignis’ face.

Later that night, when Noctis is about to fall asleep, his door creaks open again. Padded footsteps approach his bed and stop just at the edge. Long, slender fingers play with the ends of his hair and a kiss is pressed to his temple.

“Sleep well, Highness,” Ignis whispers.

Ignis turns to walk away but before he can get too far, Noctis grabs his hand to stop him. Ignis looks back at him questioningly.

“I’m sorry,” Noctis says quietly. “I didn’t mean to get mad. I know you’re just looking out for me.”

Ignis smiles. “Nothing to forgive, Highness. Sleep well.”

For once, Noctis does.


End file.
